


Rome Wasn't Built In A Day

by The_Lavender_Creator



Series: Secure [4]
Category: No Fandom
Genre: Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-14
Updated: 2019-07-14
Packaged: 2020-06-27 22:55:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 3,609
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19799449
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Lavender_Creator/pseuds/The_Lavender_Creator
Summary: Basil's little brother falling in love.





	1. Group Therapy

“Hello, everyone. My name is Brenna Canmore, I am transfeminine, I’m 34 and I use she/her pronouns. I am the head of this group, and we will start by the lovely person sitting on my right standing up, introducing themselves as I did, and then sitting down and allowing the person on their right introduce themselves. Honey, would you please start us?” She looks to me as she sits down, prompting me up.  
“Hello, my name is Rome Sullivan. I am 22 years old, and I am transmasculine and I use he/him pronouns.” I say to the group, taking a breath and sitting down.  
“Thank you, Rome,” says Mrs. Canmore, smiling at me. “Would you like to yourself next?” she says, her gaze turning to the person sitting next to me.  
“I’m Lyre Smith, I’m pansexual and, I’m 25 years of age and I use she/her pronouns.”  
“I’m…” The introductions continue on and on until it ends at the other side of Mrs. Canmore, with an ambiguous looking person with vibrant purple hair. They stand, putting their hands in the black hoodie they're wearing. "I am Jessie Mallory. I'm agender, I’m 21 and I use they/them pronouns." They sit down and look at their feet, curly hair falling in front of grey eyes. Damn they're pretty... I hope they're into dudes...

"Okay, does anyone have any thoughts they'd like to share with the group? Anything about your past or what's currently going on in your life?"  
"I do," Jessie raises their hand timidly.  
"The floor is yours, Jessie."  
"I-um... I am in college for creative writing... and I am currently getting over my ex-boyfriend."  
Yes! They like dudes! And is single!  
"He...he was abusive."  
Oh, no... Now I feel terrible for celebrating. Well, I should celebrate that they got out of a terrible relationship, but I still feel terrible for celebrating.  
"I...He was physically abusive and the was the reason who got me into writing. I do adore writing, but I can't get over he thought that I'm only here because of him."  
"Well," a girl starts to comment on Jessie's input, and they look rather uncomfortable. Jessie suddenly looks up and notices me looking at them. I feel a blush across my cheeks as their grey eyes focus on me. The blink at me and subtle smiles before looking back at the girl commenting.

An hour later, the therapy group is over. Jessie heads straight for the door. I head after them. “Hey!” I say, standing next to them. They look at me.  
“Hey.”  
“Are you going to be here next week?”  
“Probably not. I’m only here because my sister forced me to go.”  
“Well, since you aren’t going to be here next week, do you think we could maybe hang out? You seem really cool and I would like to get to know you.” They turn timid and starts to lean away from me.  
“You...you mean as a date?”  
“No! I mean- no- not unless you want it to be a date. I just… want to get to know you.”  
“Uh...Well, I don’t want to date, but my sister told me to make friends here. I guess we could hang out.”  
“Sweet! There’s this place that’s a cafe and an amazing bookstore-”  
“You mean ‘Words and Tea’!?” Their eyes brighten.  
“Yeah!”  
“Great! I was planning on going there right after this, actually. Want to go with?”  
“Yeah!” We start to walk over to it, Jessie seeming to fall more into their element as they near the cafe.


	2. Rome Wasn't Built In A Day

We walk in and the barista, a good friend of mine named Clair, greets us. “Rome! Jessie! I didn’t know you two know each other.”  
“Well, we didn’t until about an hour and a half ago.”  
“Oh. Well, what can I get you two?”  
“Hot chocolate with marshmallows.” Me and Jessie look at each other, somewhat startled at having said the same order at the same time.  
“Okay…” Clair gives us a funny look and a few minutes later she gives us two mugs.

We go to a booth and sit down, facing each other. I take a sip of hot chocolate and look around the store, admiring the bookshelves until their voice brings me back to reality. "Why were you in the group? If you don’t mind answering, of course."  
"Well, I just like knowing I'm not the only person going through transitioning. You said something about your sister forcing you?"  
"Yeah. My sister, Fiona, has been trying to get me over... him... for the last 3 years. She figured that if I was around a bunch of people who have had similar experiences to mine, I could get over him. That was the fifth group therapy I tried, and the other four where all for abuse survivors. I reminded her that I'm more than just an abuse survivor, and she responded by sending me to an LBGT group instead."  
“Wow. At least she’s trying.”  
“I guess. What’s up with you? Your past, I mean.”  
"My past?"  
"Yeah. Rome wasn't built in a day." They smirk before taking another sip from their mug.  
“Well, I was born into a very Christian household. I came out on my 18th birthday and my parents immediately disowned me. My sister and I then moved in with her boyfriend. All three of us changed our names- though, we still haven’t done the legal paperwork to get them changed- and then-” My story is cut off by my phone ringing. "Uh- sorry about that!" I pull out my phone and read the caller ID. What does Basil want?  
"Bas, what is it?... What?...Oh...Oh shit...." I end the call with her and look to my not-quite-date.  
"Rome...you okay?"  
"M-My...My mom just died..."


	3. Conflicted

"I...um... I'm going to go home..."  
"Do you want to be alone or are you okay with me going with you?"  
"i...yeah...come with me, please."  
"Okay."

We silently walk back to my campus and to my dorm. We walk into my room and they sit on my bed.  
"How are you doing?"  
"I...dunno." I go and sit next to them. "I...my mother... I told you that she disowned me for being trans... but... I never wanted her to...die."  
"Of course you didn't. Just spill everything out to me."  
"Well, I never wanted to be reminded of her existence after we left. I never wanted to feel anything for or about that woman again... and then she dies. And now I'm very well reminded and I'm feeling way too much.."  
"What exactly are you feeling?"  
"I...dunno...Conflicted. I still despise her for what she did to me and my sister... but.. she's gone. I have no chance of ever making up with her. I'm never going to get the chance to hear my mother call her my son. I just...It's a lot."  
"It's okay. I don't have to go back to my school until tomorrow. We can figure it out tonight."  
"Thanks, Jessie."  
"No problem. That's what friends are for, right?"  
"Yeah."  
"I'll be here whenever you need me. My friendship has only one rule."  
“What’s it?”  
"You aren't allowed to fall in love with me."  
"Don't worry, that won't be a problem!"


	4. And There's a Problem

So, there's a problem.

It has been roughly a year since I met Jessie. It has been a year since my mother died and my father was imprisoned for her death.

It has been a year since I met the first person I’ve ever fallen in love with. And it just so happens that that amazing person is one Jessie Mallory, a person who made it clear that they don’t want love.

But, holy shit, I couldn’t stop myself.

I find myself and them within the words flowing from their pen. I felt a flutter when I saw the proud sparkle in their eyes as they graduated college. I can’t describe when purple strands fall into grey eyes as they laugh. 

I love them.


	5. Move

I set the box down and wipe my brow, turning to walk back out of the apartment to get another box. “Thanks for letting me move in with you again, Jessie.”  
“Don’t thank me. You know you’re one of my best friends. Why wouldn’t I want you to move in now that you’ve graduated?” They say, typing at their phone. I smile, loving how their hair gracefully falls into their eyes effortlessly. My phone buzzes and I pull it out. “Who is it?”  
“Basil,” I answer the call and put it to my ear.  
“Rome! Guess what!”  
“What’s it, Bas?”  
“I finally did it!”  
“What?”  
“I asked him to marry me!”  
“Really!”  
“Yeah! Get over here and bring that friend of yours with you! We’re having dinner to celebrate!”  
“Great! See ya, sis.”  
“Bye!”  
“What was that about, Romey?” I put my phone in my pocket and smile at them.  
“We’re going to my sister’s place.”  
“What? Why?”  
“We’re having dinner with my sister. She just got engaged!”  
“Oh! Okay! Do we have to get dressed up or-”  
“Nah. She’s all for wearing just what you want to wear. She’d never put a dress code on anything.”  
“Cool. Let’s go.”


	6. The Engagement

“Bas!” I say as she opens the door. She pulls me into a hug and I walk into her apartment.  
“Hello! You must be Jessie, yes?”  
“Yeah.” Jessie holds out their hand for my sister and she shakes it. I walked over to her dining table, set and ready for dinner. I sit and motion for Jessie to sit next to me as I look into the kitchen, finding Carys stirring a pot and humming to himself quietly.  
“Hey, Carys!”  
“Oh- hey, Rome! Is that your roommate? I love her hair!”  
“Oh...Um...Thanks, but it’s ‘their hair’.”  
“Okay, sorry!”  
“No problem. What’re we eating?”  
“Pasta!” We continued talking for a couple of minutes and then Carys and Basil serve dinner. As we eat, the couple recounts both of their sides to their engagement story, and then Carys started showing off the amber ring my sister proposed to him with. When we finished eating, Jessie and I got up to leave, and the newly engaged couple told us that tomorrow night we'll be discussing the actual wedding.

We started to walk home, as our apartment is only a few blocks from my sister’s place. I stuff my hands in my pockets and look up at the skyscrapers around us. “I love the city,” Jessie says, their voice softer than normal.  
“Me too, Jess.”  
“So, the wedding.”  
“The wedding.”  
“Yeah…”  
“Do you...wanna be my date?”  
“What?” their voice is startled as I realized what I asked.  
“Do you wanna be my date to the wedding? Er- not date. Plus one? I mean- It can be a date if you want it to-”  
“Yes.”  
“What?”  
“...Yes. I’ll be your date.”


	7. What the...?

Holy shit...what just happened!?

I look up at the dark ceiling above my bed and rewatch the scene play out in my head.

“Do you...wanna be my date?”  
“What?”  
“Do you wanna be my date to the wedding? Er- not date. Plus one? I mean- It can be a date if you want it to-”  
“Yes.”  
“What?”  
“...Yes. I’ll be your date.”

I have a date with Jessie Mallory.  
I have a date with Jessie Mallory.  
I have a date with Jessie Mallory!!!!

I never thought this would happen! I thought that they would either fall for someone else or would stop talking to me before they decided to get back into romance! Holy shit!


	8. Planning

I walk out of my room that morning and find Jessie in the kitchen. They look up at me and we both blush, remembering last night’s events. “We’re going to your sister’s place for dinner, remember?”  
“Yeah...I remember everything from last night.” I say the second half quietly. They smile and I grab a piece of toast and head out for my new job at the nearest museum.  
\---  
I go back home and find Jessie, and they tell me to go change from my work uniform so we can go to Basil’s place. I do and we go and then we arrive at Basil’s. Carys lets us in and we sit at their coffee table, where Basil is sitting in front of a binder. “You still have that old thing?”  
“What?”  
“When I was little I made a binder with a bunch of wedding stuff. I was so sure I’d be a bride one day, even though I felt more like a groom. I can’t believe you kept that!”  
“Well, yeah I did. It’s one of the only things I brought with us when we left home.”  
“Why?”  
“I dunno. I was with Carys for 16 years at that point, and you could meet anyone, and it was a big part of our childhood.”  
“I guess...”  
“Anyways- let’s start planning the wedding!”  
“Rome, wanna be my best man?” I look to my side and find Carys with his hand on my shoulder.  
“Yeah. I’d love to be, Car.”  
“Jessie, would you like to be one of the bride’s maids?”  
“Oh- um- I don’t feel comfortable taking that role, as this is the second time I’ve ever seen you, sorry.”  
“Oh. Oh! I’m sorry- I didn’t think! You’re probably not comfortable planning the wedding of two people you just met! I haven't even asked if you'd like to attend-"  
"I'm going to attend- don't worry! I'm already going as Rome's plus one."  
"Oh, I meant that I'd invite you personally. You don't have to be him plus one-"  
"No, no, no, I know what you meant! I mean, I'm his date!"  
"...Date?" Basil and Carys both turn their gazes to me.  
"Yeah. I'm his date. Stop looking at him like he could do better."  
"He could not do better, Jessie. We're just surprised that he finally got his shit together and realized your feelings for him."  
"What!?"  
"Come on, Rome! It was so obvious! They spent all of last night blushing and staring at you, and they were practically clinging to you-"  
"Hey!"  
"What? It's true!"  
"Yeah, but don't call me out like that..."  
“Okay, okay, okay! Let’s just get to planning, okay?”  
“Fine, Rome. So, I was thinking that it could take place in 9 months…”


	9. Ready As I'll Ever Be

“Hey, Jess,” I say, walking into Jessie’s room, finding them tying the necktie they’re wearing.   
“Hey. Help me with this?” I reach over and undo the terrible knot they tried, and I replace it with a proper one. “I can’t believe it, ya know? They just got engaged a few months ago and now…”  
“I know, right? We were all busy planning this wedding thinking we had 9 months and then- BOOM! Nevermind! ‘We’re getting married in a month because Carys got some new job and we have to move!’ I mean- I get it, but couldn’t they have postponed the wedding instead of rushing it?” I finish their tie and smile at them. “In the rush, I didn’t have the ability to take you on a proper first date.”  
They blush. “Well, this is our first date, then. We can go on a date somewhere between helping them pack and you finally unpacking!” They smirk at me, bringing up the numerous unpacked boxes plaguing our apartment.  
“Hey! Don’t call me out like that! Come on- are you ready to go?”  
“As ready as I'll ever be.”


	10. The Wedding

We go to leave the apartment and then Jessie realizes that they forgot something, but wouldn’t tell me what. While they go to their room to retrieve something, I go to the bathroom and I look at myself in the mirror and smile when I find my reflection looking okay.

(Pic of Rome: https://the-lavender-creator.tumblr.com/post/186272612223/my-character-rome-from-my-series-secure)

I walk out and after a minute the beautiful Jessie walks out of their room, nearly rendering me speechless at the sight of them. “So...what do you think?”

(Pic of Jessie: https://the-lavender-creator.tumblr.com/post/186272634638/my-character-jessie-from-my-series-secure)

“You look...beautiful.” I almost trailed off from a lack of words, but I went with a word that could never explain but is somewhat close. We go to walk out after they smile at me.  
\-----  
We go to the nearest park and find it covered in wedding decor. I see two people talking and drag Jess over to them, finding it to be Carys and Ms. Margaret. I go to join the convo but Jessie pulls on my arm, holding me back. “Who’s that woman?” They say nervously, reminding me that they have a touch of social anxiety, and the idea of talking to a stranger in her 80s at a straight wedding while being nonbinary and on a date with someone of the same sex isn’t exactly an ideal situation.  
“It’s okay, Jess. She’s Ms. Margaret. She ran the orphanage Carys grew up in.”  
“Is she…”  
“Don’t worry, Jess. Basil and Carys cut everyone like that out of their lives when I was 18.”  
“Okay…”  
“Do you still not feel comfortable talking to her?”  
“Not really.”  
“That’s okay. It looks like Carys is almost done talking to her anyways.” As if on queue, Carys looks away from Ms. Margaret and towards us, his eyes widening, He says something to her, and walks over to us, smiling brightly as usual.

(Pic of Carys: https://the-lavender-creator.tumblr.com/post/186272644868/my-character-carys-from-my-series-secure)

“Hey, you two! How are you guys today?”  
“Good!”  
“Eh…”  
“Okay! So, we’re going to start in about an hour. I’m going to need you, Rome, to go over to the little house over there, like how we went over yesterday during the rehearsal. You two have fun, okay?”  
“Okay, thanks Carys!” 

He walks off to a new set of guests and Jessie pulls on my arm, dragging me to a more private part of the park. “How are you doing, Jess.”  
“I dunno. I just don’t want to deal with humans today.”  
“You’re dealing with me.” They blush and look at their feet.  
“You’re different. You know that, Rome.” I laugh and smile at them.  
“Come on, Jess. We’ll try and socialize and if you feel worse then we can just find your seat for the ceremony and I’ll go and try and help everything get set up, okay?”  
“Okay…” I smile and turn to go back into the crowd. “Wait! What’re we doing after this?”  
“Well, we have the party after this and then we’re sending them off on honeymoon. After that...I dunno. Would you like to go home or go to ‘Words and Tea’?”  
“We’ll see when we get there.”  
“Do you think you’ll make it to the afterparty?”  
“I don’t think so.”  
“Okay. Bas and Car will understand if we leave early, as long as it’s after my part is all done.”  
“Okay.”  
“Are you ready for us to go deal with people?”  
“...Yeah.”  
\-------  
I walk down the aisle, my arm linked to \Bas’ bridesmaid, and then take my place next to where Carys will stand. I look down to the left side of the aisle where Jess sits, their eyes trained on me. I smile at them and they give a small wave as Carys walks down the aisle on his own, taking his place next to me.

The music changes and we all turn to find Basil at the opposite end of the aisle to Carys.

(Pic of Basil: https://the-lavender-creator.tumblr.com/post/186272621308/my-character-basil-from-my-series-secure)

She smiles and walks down, coming to stand next to Cars as the music shifts back to normal. They say their vows, which I plan on stealing eventually to share with Jess. They smile at each other and exchange rings and kiss and we all speed down the aisle.  
\-----  
In the chaos of the end of the ceremony and trying to get out of the park and into the reserved restaurant next door, I lost Jess and couldn’t find them.

I started to panic when I realized I couldn’t find them and started to run through the restaurant, people rushing by more than they should. I felt my lungs start to reject air in exchange for gasps when I heard gasping from somewhere slightly off. I look around wildly and find a door to a neutral bathroom, and I open it to find Jess holding onto a sink, the embodiment of what I’m feeling.  
“Jess-” Their head snaps up to meet me and they’re suddenly clinging to me, sobbing. “Jess, Jess, Jess, it’s okay, shh…” I start to pet their purple hair and wrap my opposite arm around their waist. “Wanna go home?” They nod against me and I shush them again and tell them to wipe their eyes and stay there, as I was to go find the bride and groom and tell them the situation. They tell me to apologize to the newlyweds, and I tell them that they won't mind. They already got their big day, after all.

I go back to Jess After I tell Bas, and we go home. I send them to the couch and I make us some tea. They curl up in a blanket and their favourite hoodie, not bothering to take off the skirt and leggings they wore to the wedding, and gulp the warm tea quickly. 

We talk for a while, sleepy discussions. They move closer and closer to me as the night ages, and somehow we end up with their head against my shoulder, their arms wrapped around mine. They start to drift to sleep.  
"Hey...So, um...Will you be my partner?"


End file.
